Meet Josh & Joe from The Employment and Skills team at West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Who are the Employment and Skills team at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority? Read on to find out more about the work this team does, meet some of the team members and find out what they love about working here.

Making sure everyone in West Yorkshire has the skills they need to secure good work and enjoy the benefits our region has to offer, is at the heart of what the West Yorkshire Combined Authority stands for. The work of the Employment and Skills team supports individuals to upskill and provides the ability for individuals to access good jobs within strong and prosperous businesses across West Yorkshire.

The Employment and Skills service will support you to develop professionally and achieve your potential, while you will support others in West Yorkshire to develop themselves.

Meet Josh, Policy Officer

We asked Josh some questions about his role at the Combined Authority. Here is what he told us:

Can you explain your current role and responsibilities?

I am a Policy Officer in the Employment & Skills Team. I work with an array of partners to develop ideas and strategies about how we best help our residents get the skills they need for jobs in their chosen career paths. This involves working with data to understand where support might be needed and how best practice can shape future interventions. We also work collaboratively and innovatively to think about new ways of supporting people in West Yorkshire, and we work across different projects in the organisation to ensure that Employment & Skills is always part of our vision and plans as an organisation.

What do you enjoy most about working here and what makes the Combined Authority unique?

It always comes down to the people – every day that I come into work I am surrounded by intelligent people who are committed to improving the lives of people in West Yorkshire, and who really care about supporting the people around them. That is something I am really grateful for and makes me want to do everything I can to contribute.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career at the Combined Authority?

It’s a place where you really feel like you can make a difference – I know it sounds cliché, but it’s been clear from the first day I started working here. The remit of the Combined Authority is spread over many different areas, which is great for personal development and building up understanding of the different positive impacts we can have on the place we live and work. I would also say I’m consistently struck by how welcoming and inviting people are at the Combined Authority, which I know is important when entering a new organisation or starting a new career.

Meet Joe Jackson, Programme Assistant

Joe started working at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority as a Business Administration Apprenticeship within the Employment and Skills Service. He has since secured a new role working within another directorate at the Combined Authority and has progressed into a more senior role within the organisation working as a Programme Assistant.